MIGRATION, DIASPORA AND MUSIC: MUSICAL IDENTITY AMONG YELEME CIRCASSIANS

Authors : Alev Türkan, Sibel Paşaoğlu

Pages : 2682-2716

Doi:10.51576/ymd.1786199

View : 120 | Download : 541

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the traditional musical culture of Yeleme village in the Korkuteli district of Antalya province through the concept of migration. The Circassian people were subjected to forced migration from their homeland to Ottoman territories due to the Russo-Caucasian War, which concluded in 1864. This exodus was precipitated by the Circassians\\\' unwillingness to submit to the oppressive policies and impositions of the Russian Empire. The Circassians were resettled in Ottoman lands as a result of this forced migration. In this regard, Yeleme village is a settlement in Teke region, predominantly populated by Abzakh, which continues to preserve the cultural and musical identity of the Circassian people. In this context, the research problem focuses on identifying the indicators of the musical identity of the Yeleme Circassians within the framework of the effects of migration and diaspora processes on musical identity. In the research, a case study design, representing one of the qualitative research methods, was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews and observations at different times in the field, and audio-visual recordings were made. Drawing upon the extant literature and utilizing the data gleaned from interviews and observations in situ, the cultural and musical identity of the subject was delineated, and the folk songs of Yeleme were transcribed and notated. The findings reveal that, within the framework of migration and diaspora, the process of maintaining musical identity is also influenced by acculturation, which manifests itself in both sociocultural life and musical practices. In addition to the analyses conducted in the research, the post-migration transformation of the Circassian community, musical practices within socio-cultural life, and descriptions of weddings and celebrations were provided.
Keywords : Göç, diaspora, müzik, Yeleme Çerkesleri, müzikal kimlik.

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